Sentiment is a funny thing. What is it about the human condition that makes us attach such fervent significance to even the most mundane of objects? To coin a phrase, when do our possessions begin to possess us? New York Times bestselling author Emily Spivack has a fair idea. In Worn Stories, Spivack collects more than 60 clothing-inspired narratives—or “memoirs in miniature”—from cultural figures such as Rosanne Cash, John Hodgeman, Simon Doonan, Greta Gerwig, Marcus Samuelsson, Cynthia Rowley, Piper Kerman, and Maira Kalman. Join Spivack at Pratt Institute’s Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator on Wednesday for a visual tour of the garments that not only adorn and protect us but also serve as touchstones for the narratives we carry inside us. Ecouterre caught up with Spivack, who’s currently a visiting assistant professor at Pratt Institute’s fashion department, to learn more about the “porosity” of clothing, why people hold onto things that have long served their purpose, and the way “fast fashion” is changing the way we consume.

Picture this: Three young fashion enthusiasts from Norway, two of them still in their teens, travel to Cambodia, where they sample the life of a garment worker for a month. Not exactly the most universal of tales, but it’s one that has taken on a life of its own. In the two weeks since we published our original report, the story has gathered more than 124,000 Facebook likes, 29,000 Facebook shares, and nearly 3,000 tweets. Even the deadly collapse of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh in April 2013 didn’t capture this much attention on our site. So what nerve did the lives of three Norwegians touch that the deaths of 1,133 Bangladeshis didn’t? We caught up with Anniken Jørgensen, Frida Ottesen, and Ludvig Hambro to find out.

]]>http://www.ecouterre.com/interview-norways-sweatshop-fashionistas-in-their-own-words/feed/1Watch “The Next Black,” a Film About the Future of Clothinghttp://www.ecouterre.com/watch-the-next-black-a-film-about-the-future-of-clothing/
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Don’t start off your month with a case of cabin fever. Bundle up and head out to Brooklyn tomorrow for a screening of The Next Black, a documentary that explores how out-of-the-box thinking is shaping the future of our clothes. Got questions? Be sure to linger for a post-film discussion with Lovisa Sunnerholm from AEG, Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman of RPF Industrial Design, Henry Yoo of Pratt Institute’s Digital Arts Lab, and Francis Bitonti of Francis Bitonti Studio. Part of Ecouterre and the Pratt Institute’s Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator’s winter film series, the event kicks off a weeklong exhibit about the growing intimacy between technology and fashion. (Geek alert: You’ll even get to see some real-life spacesuits!) To whet your appetite, we caught up with Sunnerholm, one of the film’s producers, to learn more about the innovators behind the film, the evolution of “smarter” clothing, and the questions she hopes viewers will ponder long after the credits roll.

It’s hard to believe, but San Francisco used to be a thriving manufacturing hub that employed tens of thousands of workers as late as 1969. As businesses migrated production to more attractive (read: more affordable) pastures overseas, the number of sites that churn out apparel and other textiles has steadily declined to just 136 this past year. But SFMade thinks it’s time fabrication returned home to the Bay Area. The five-year-old nonprofit makes it its mission to regrow “made in San Francisco,” albeit with a difference. Local manufacturers can’t compete with their offshore counterparts on price points, according to Janet Lees, the advocacy group’s senior director. What gives them an edge, however, is quality over quantity, or “artisanal manufacturing.”

Live in or around New York City? You’re cordially invited to a Jan. 7, 2015 screening of Cotton Road, a documentary that explores the global cotton supply chain through the eyes of its workers. Hosted by the Pratt Institute’sBrooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator as part of its winter film series, and sponsored by Ecouterre, the movie traces the transnational journey of the “fabric of our lives,” from the rolling fields of South Carolina to the factory cities of eastern China. The transformation from seed to shirt isn’t always a pretty one, but director Laura Kissel isn’t afraid to take a gimlet look at the environmental and ethical impacts of cotton’s globe-spanning odyssey. We caught up with Kissel this week to learn more about the inspiration behind her film, how supply-chain transparency can lead to social change, and how consumer choices can be a powerful advocate for the way our clothes are made—and the people who make them.

Moroccan leather has been sought after over the centuries for its quality craftsmanship, beautiful geometric ornamentation, and attention to detail. However, the global hunger for fast fashion has taken once flourishing artisan communities committed to hand-made, bespoke accessories into a the realm of quick turnaround timetables, passing fads, and toxic methods of production. The Berlin-based luxury accessory brand, Abury combines Moroccan-influenced embellishments and expertise with modern touches from contemporary designers. Ecouterre sat down with Abury founder, Andrea Kolb, to discuss her passion for fine accessories.

Looks like Ecouterre should have a side gig in soothsaying. Just six months after we K/ller Collection as an eco-fashion designer to watch, the Brooklyn jeweler won the $75,000 top prize in this year’s CFDA/Lexus Eco-Fashion Challenge. In the four years they’ve been in business, Katie deGuzman and Michael Miller have created a brand that’s at once gritty and delicate, organic and industrial, edgy and elegant. We caught up with the duo to learn about the origin of their name, the role ethics plays in their production, and what their win means for K/ller’s future.

Having won this year’s International Woolmark Prize and launched a new line at Harvey Nichols earlier this month, designer Rahul Mishra is a force to be reckoned with. His mission is to encourage slow ethical fashion that celebrates imperfection, and to achieve a form of fashion democracy. The Mumbai-based designer is a stickler for hand-made fashion, and currently works with over 500 families who have participated in the creation of his award-winning sustainable collection. Ecouterre had the pleasure of asking Mishra about how he hopes this philosophy will change the fashion industry and how he hopes to see designers around him follow suit. Read on for the full interview and for a look at Mishra’s stunning new collection.

Helsinki-based Pure Waste Textiles was born out of a desire to halt the huge amount of fabric wasted in the production of fashion accessories. After beginning to use leftover material from manufacturers, the designers became more intent on actively avoiding waste. “Wasting so much valuable material is not just intolerable from ecological point of view,” says Kalle Määttä of the brand, but also from an economical point of view. In an interesting interview with Ecouterre, Määttä discussed the future of Pure Waste Textiles and how this proactive attitude to production is the only option.

For Taylor Johnston, a quote by Chuck Close sums up the inspiration behind Boston-based women’s workwear Gamine.: “Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up and get to work.” As horticulturist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Johnston has never been afraid of getting down in the dirt. But when it came to finding jeans that were up for the challenge, she reached a crossroads. “Before I started Gamine, I saw there being two broad categories of women’s workwear: the high-end knockoffs that look like workwear but don’t stand up to the abuse and the industrial workwear options that fit terribly and are made of brown cotton duck.”

Jewelry should be about self-expression, embellishment, and adornment that lets the individual shine as brightly as the pieces they are wearing . The last thing anyone should worry about when clasping a necklace or donning a ring is whether or not another human being or the environment had to suffer for fashion. Sustainable designer Melissa Joy Manning stands as a shining example of eco-conscious artistry in an industry dominated by fleeting fads and questionable supply chains. As a member of the invitation-only Council of Fashion Designers of America, she has been recognized as an outstanding contributor to her craft. The fact that she employs a host of environmentally and socially responsible practices throughout a successful company is as an important reminder that luxury and beauty can exist alongside an ethic of respect and responsibility.

The brains behind creative hub Stitched Up describe themselves as “a one stop shop for sustainable fashion, fabrics and networking”. While their Manchester (UK)-based HQ is where their sewing, fashion and craft workshops converge, they try to encapsulate much more by incorporating their sewing café, ethical fashion and home wares shop and haberdashery. Since opening back in 2011 the team has expanded their cool workshop hub to offer clothing repairs, sewing machine servicing and educational events as well. In the following Q+A with Ecouterre Stitched Up discussed their feelings towards the future for grassroots organisations in fashion.

Located in the rural outskirts of central Chiang Mai, Thailand, Studio Naenna work with local female artisans to make some truly beautiful fabrics. As well as offering a socially responsible exchange of labor, the eco textile brand use all natural materials and dyes to make their fabrics, scarves, and garments. Ecouterre was fortunate enough to visit the studio – which in itself is stunning – and watch the women at work using indigo dyes and weaving on looms. What followed was an interesting interview about the background of the brand and Patricia Cheesman, founder of the studio, with her daughter Lamorna Cheesman. Read on for an in-depth look at the work of these incredible artisans and the philosophy behind the brand.

]]>http://www.ecouterre.com/studio-naenna-produces-stunning-handwoven-eco-textiles-in-thailand/feed/0“RiverBlue” is an Upcoming Film That Explores the Dark Side of Denimhttp://www.ecouterre.com/riverblue-is-an-upcoming-documentary-exploring-the-dark-side-of-denim/
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Aklima Khanam may have survived the deadly collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh on April 24, 2013, but you’d hardly call her one of the lucky ones. Once the breadwinner of her family, the 20-year-old sewed loops onto pants seven days a week, 120 hours a week, for $125 a month, until that fateful day left her with multiple head, chest, and leg injuries—not to mention untreated post-traumatic anxiety—that prevent her from finding work. Liana Foxvog of the International Labor Rights Forum spoke to Khanam on April 6, while she was on a speaking tour of the United States organized by United Students Against Sweatshops. This is her story.

In 2010, Shannon Whitehead and her partner Kristin Glenn co-founded (R)evolution apparel, a sustainable clothing company for female travelers and lovers of multifunctional dressing. Their signature piece, the Versalette, went viral in 2011 when they launched a Kickstarter campaign that became the highest-funded fashion project of that time. While Whitehead’s mission altered a bit post (R)evolution apparel, amicably parting ways with Glenn a few years ago (Glenn is still successfully running a similar business called Seamly), Whitehead has found a newfound raison d’etre: creating a new online business accelerator called Factory45.

Convert knows a good thing when it sees it. The Berkeley, Calif.-based boutique is following the likes of Everlane and Zady with an ethical online marketplace of its own. Launched late October, the e-commerce platform offers clothing and accessories with a sustainable, made-in-America focus. Many are even exclusive to the store. For despite the “newness” of Convert’s virtual teller, the relationships powering it are longstanding. Co-owners Randy Brewer and Fred Whitefield are old hands at cultivating relationships with designers and labels. That tack that has resulted in several collaborations, ones that marry California’s unique brand of casual-cool with their unwavering business ethic.

Whether you’re an avid reality television viewer or a follower of eco-fashion, the name Daniel Silverstein is probably on your radar. The charismatic, near-prodigy level graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology (whose portfolio was lauded when he was only 14 years old) and finalist of NBC’s Fashion Star, is pioneering a new realm of design, one that benefits people and the planet. Ecouterre sat down with Daniel and his brand manager and longtime friend, Chris Anderson, after his Fall/Winter 2014 presentation at Launch NYC Fashion Week to talk about his start, the label’s past four years, and the future of sustainable fashion.

What happens when you fuse the talent of a hip up-and-coming designer with a brand that’s been in business for 150 years? How about “heritage chic”? Well, that’s what we all hope to see come of the new position Gretchen Jones recently took on with Pendleton, an American clothing company based in Portland, Oregon. Though the brand has certainly had its second wave with the development of the American-made The Portland Collection and Surf Pendleton, Jones’ unique bohemian aesthetic, recognizable to not just the sustainable design community, but also mainstream fashion worldwide, might just be the right stride for a brand needing an updated jolt.

With his ultra-modern aesthetic and song lyrics that reference the next millennium, it’s no secret that Will.i.am is looking to the future. In addition to creating music, the multi-platinum recording artist has partnered with Coca-Cola on his “Ekocycle” line of clothing and accessories made using recycled materials. Ecouterre recently met up with the Black Eye Pea in the Bronx to find out more about why he is investing in green fashion and what he envisions for the next generation of clothing consumers.

“Growing up I was told this very simple story about where our clothes come from,” Andrew Morgan, director of a new documentary, The True Cost, tells viewers in the opening scenes of his film trailer. “I was told they were made in faraway places by these ‘other people’ and these people needed the work.” Despite never seeing these people, Morgan, like many consumers worldwide, believed he was supporting the “other people” with positive purchasing power. As news of human-rights abuses in Bangladesh hurtled into the public consciousness, however, and the body count began to mount, Morgan discovered an uglier truth that begged to be exposed.